This combines the effort of all Sholes.info members including Berzerker, Birdman, trevorj, and SirPsychoS. It's been a few days in the working with existing ROM features + adding/upgrading other things in order to complete what our view was to be when it would be completed. This is the outcome, and we have to say, we're pretty pleased with what we've come up with.

What is included in this ROM:

-OPTIMIZATION (all APKs and JARs in /system are fully optimized, to provide vast speed improvements) (UPDATED 01/16/10: Reverted to unoptimized framework-res.apk to eliminate random reboots (this version has a transparent background in the notification window)
-UPDATED 01/25/10: Completely deodexed system. EVERY apk and jar (except core.jar in /system/framework because it can't be deodexed) is deodexed to allow for easy installation of any system apps you might want to install. This also allows for easy changing of certain things such as the clock color (from black to white, or vice versa) and even the lock screen (bringing back the original 2.0 lock screen is planned for a future version).
-2.1 Keyboard which includes Voice Dictation (ported by Berzerker)
-2.1 Gallery app (credit to [mbm])
-2.1 Music app (credit to jinx10000)
-2.1 Clock app (replaces AlarmClock and the Multimedia Dock) (credit to jinx10000)
-2.1 News/Weather Widget
-2.1 Launcher (v1.1a (adds stability fixes)) (credit to xeudoxus)
-2.0.1 Launcher (v1.1a (slightly smaller and includes auto-rotate w/ keyboard closed)) (credit to xeudoxus)
-Multi-Touch Browser (reverted back to stable lib file to remove bugs) (credit to t3hSteve) (UPDATED 01/25/10: Updated it to 1.0 RC3 from his topic)
-Minimum Brightness hack (includes app to edit brightness levels (credit to xeudous and jinx10000) (UPDATED 01/25/10: Added new services.jar to bring the brightness hack to the manual slider (all the way down is 2 brightness))
-YouTube HQ default hack
-WiFi-Tethering (additional setup required, instructions provided) (UPDATED 01/12/10: Easier to use now)
-Ability to remove potentially unwanted apps.
-UPDATED 01/12/10: Added a new boot image developed by trevorj of the sholes.info team, it includes compcache (which adds 65MB of swap space), and the ability to clock the processor to a stock of 600MHz. All in all, you should see vast improvements in performance with this. (UPDATED 01/16/10: Updated compcache to 0.6) UPDATED 01/25/10: Compcache is disabled by default, should be faster without it. Also, no need for kmods.squashfs in /system anymore, everything is in the boot image now.
-UPDATED 01/12/10: Fixed Voice Search FC
-UPDATED 01/16/10: Added option to remove color from bash that was causing problems on Windows with adb.
-UPDATED 01/16/10: Added powertop. (Not for use on Windows (problem with colors)) [Info on powertop here.)
-***UPDATED 01/16/10:*** Manual brightness works!!!
-NO SWYPE KEYBOARD.
-UPDATED 01/25/10: Added libs for dropbear. (mostly works, but currently not complete, not supporting any issues at this time)
-UPDATED 01/25/10: Fixed Wi-Fi Tether. (Also, people who downloaded this before 11:15 AM GMT -5, on 01/25/10 should install again to get it actually working.

How to install:

(Note: DO NOT ATTEMPT to restore the .rom.tgz using backup/restore, you will fail/brick your phone)

PLEASE READ THE KNOWN ISSUES!!

PLEASE REMEMBER: Remove all previous versions of the ROM out of /sdcard/ (all .tar or .tgz) before trying to install

(Note: This update REQUIRES (not "maybe I can get away with it". ***REQUIRES***) sprecovery version 0.99.2b. It WILL NOT INSTALL unless you have this version installed (it will error with status 15 or 154.))

(NOTE: After you install this image, it will take a little bit to boot up (couple minutes), this is because of the system needing to run dexopt to cache all of the odexes from the deodexed files. This will only be during the first time you boot, after that, subsequent reboots will be as quick as (or even quicker than) normal odexed boots.

-Update to the latest sprecovery using this guide if you haven't done so already.
-Download the ROM and place it in /sdcard (the root directory of it)
-Reboot into sprecovery and choose "install"
-Select "choose ROM from sdcard" and choose .rom.tgz (it's the first option now in the install menu)
-It will prompt you about whether or not to wipe /data. If you are installing over an existing installation of 2.1 or any ROM that is significantly different from stock 2.0.1, say yes. If you are installing over stock 2.0.1, over a previous version of Berzerker's, birdman's, or my ROM, you can safely select no.
-It will automatically install OVER your existing image and not erase any of your settings! (You might need to resign into Google through the market after.)

(Note: THIS ROM WIPES /SYSTEM, all of it If you have any apps installed into /system (also, if you've replaced framework-res.apk) you want to save just in case (apps installed over the market don't install to /system/app, so you don't need to worry about them), please back them up before doing so (Also, no need to reroot or anything.)

How to get WiFi Tethering working:

1. Open the Wireless Tethering app from the application list
2. Click Close or Donate, if you wish. It will then say "Binaries and post-installation files installed!"
3. Close the app, it won't work, so don't bother trying to enable it yet.
4. Reboot.
5. You're done! Wifi tethering should work properly after a reboot (WEP Encryption does not work though (not our fault))

That's it!

Credit also goes to SirPsychoS for his recovery image.

Known Issues:
-Landscape bug in app drawer still exists on Launcher2.
-Weather does not display properly in clock. (It's in Celsius)
-Picasa syncing only works after wipe/data.
-Gmail syncing may break after installation. (WORKAROUND: Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Menu button > Filter > All > Select the "Clear Data" option from BOTH "Gmail" and "Gmail Storage")
-If you would like to remove the new USB functionality (but keep the old one), rename /system/app/Usb.apk to /system/app/Usb.bak and replug in.
-Bettercut doesn't work. (because the Launcher is deodexed)
-Power Control widget may take a while to be usable/update on first boot.

Side-note: If you wish to install the Smoke Glass theme along with this, I've included themed files and one to change the clock to white. Download this file, unrar it, and replace the files in the framework folder with the ones in /system/framework and the ones in the app folder with the ones in /system/app (The Launcher included in this is the 2.0.1 5 screen launcher) and reboot. (boot up will be slower again, once)

Side-note: If you're without adb and you're trying to update your recovery image, you can download the newest .img, use ASTRO to place it in the root /sdcard directory, then use a terminal emulator like ConnectBot, or something else of the like to run:

$ su
# /data/local/flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery-0.99.2b.img
(replace '/data/local/' with wherever your copy of flash_image is installed, or if you don't have a copy, see the Sholes.info SPRecovery installation guide.

Then reboot into recovery mode and you should be good.

If you wish to donate to the cause, you can send anything (it's all greatly appreciated) to a.akker214@gmail.com (it will be split amongst the devs afterwards).

I just installed this with no problem except now my brightness fluctuates. Most of the time its at max setting, sometimes it'll dim but go right back to max. Also when I go to unlock my phone, the touch buttons won't light up unless I hit the brightness button on the power control widget. I can't change the settings at all and I tried using the supplied brightness app but it didn't do anything. I just want to know what may be causing it. Other than that it's running pretty smooth, Keep up the great work.

Edit: Swype is fine but crashes when I try to access options or hold backspace to delete a word. The 2.1 keyboard w/ speech seems to be working fine.

just to clear something up, do i need to have a clean version of 2.0.1 installed first? i see it says i can wipe first if i want, does that mean this would be a full install or am i better off starting clean? and finally do i need to install the 2.1 launcher? or i can i just install the 2.0.1 with 5 screens launcher? and the clean 2.0.1 in this post has SU and root and busybox? usually read the rest of the posts and have had no trouble installing anything from all you guys but since it just came out no questions really asked yet.

One thing... as noted above, there seems to be an issue with the brightness control (hack). On my Droid, no matter what I do it does not change the brightness at all. And I have went throught the controls to check. Also, looks very dim, too dim really.

So far, everything seems good, much faster than the previous release.

EDIT: Re-read post and duh, missed this:

Known Issues:
-If you install Wifi Tethering, Brightness will be stuck on automatic and cannot be changed.

Berzerker just an FYI running into memory drain after 48 hour uptime on 4a. Lags all text input, drawer use. Will upgrade all to current rom. No new apps or updates since 2a. Might be something worth checking out in test phones with standard usage. Battery at 50%. Reboot helped. Apparently installed:
meridian
Facebook
MySpace
yelp
open table
atk

Only Facebook MySpace, messaging gmail movies used today.not sure where the bug is from but my susp?icions are that it is the b eta voice txt. Sorry this iks choppy. Phon e lag.

I think I have found a bug.....swype keyboard keeps crashing. It launches but then crashes. I reinstalled the rom twice and it still does the same. Only apps i didn't install were amazon, visual voice mail, and wireless root tether. I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. Other that that this rom is sweeeeeeetttttt. Nice and fast.

I think I have found a bug.....swype keyboard keeps crashing. It launches but then crashes. I reinstalled the rom twice and it still does the same. Only apps i didn't install were amazon, visual voice mail, and wireless root tether. I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. Other that that this rom is sweeeeeeetttttt. Nice and fast.

Ok, got it all installed and working, sort of. Few issues I have. Swype FCs every time. If I click on Accounts & Sync the phone reboots. Got wireless tether working the first time I ran it, but once I changed the SSID, network, and Channel, it won't transmit. It says it's working, no errors, but no device can see it. Any ideas. When I view the log, everything says done, no errors.

Useful Searches

About DroidForums.net

DroidForums.net was founded in 2009 originally dedicated for the Motorola Droid, the first Verizon Android Phone. We have since expanded our community to cover all Android Phones, Android Tablets, and Android Wearables. We discuss various topics including Android Help, Android Device Reviews, Android Apps, Phone Accessories, Android Games and more. Our ultimate goal is to be the Internet's best and largest Android Forum.